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WEEK 5
30 Aug
Pull / Chin / Pull / Chin / Pull – 22,13,11,10,17 (240 secs)
Hollow Body Hold – 3 x 25 secsExtended it out to 4 minutes rest as the first set really wipes me out. I s. Another personal best.
1 Sep
Pull / Chin / Pull / Chin / Pull – 24,10,11,13,13 (240 secs)
I dropped abs here as I’m trying to let my body recover from all this volume. I don’t have aches and pains but I can tell on the opening set that I’m not fully fresh. I did the 24 but I’m letting my technique go a bit at the bottom of the rep in order to keep momentum.
3 Sep
Pull / Chin / Pull / Chin / Pull – 24+2,10,11,10,16 (180 secs)
My first failure, I rested 10-15 secs before completing the final two reps of the target 26. Technique was better here, slightly narrower arms to make it more natural going to elbow extension.
This feels like where I’m falling off track, but the way it’s programmed it’s rushing me from a highest working set of 19 up to 35. I still have 30,33 and 35 as opening sets and I wouldn’t be surprised if I continue to hover around 25 reps and have to make up the other reps.
The final set has also been to failure and the target is to match the first set, which this week has been 22, 24, 26. I’ve done 17, 13, 16 so I’m clearly off whatever pace the program writer had in mind.
I had around 10 days off due to a tooth infection.
7 Aug
Rowing – Max distance in 1 minute (282m, 307m)
Max distance in 6 minutes (1492m)This wasn’t 100% but I’d seen an equation to estimate fast/slow twitch muscle fibres using your best from these two distances.
9 Aug
Rowing – 2km in 9 mins
11 Aug
Rowing – 2km in 9 mins
When I did an 8 week rowing program it had lots of this slow stuff in, and to build endurance it’s a necessary evil. I thought I’d add it in as a nice easy session on an otherwise quiet day.
17 Aug
Back Squat – 5 x 60, 70, 75kg
Around The Square – 3 x 4
A1 Alternate Ankle Hops – 2 x 40 secs
A2 Med ball Slams – 2 x 5It’s been a while since I used a barbell so a good chance to get back into it. Super light to start given you only have to touch a barbell on day one to get hideous DOMS
19 Aug
Rowing – 2:15/500m pace for 3km
Extending this out a bit as the working sets were really 13-16 mins long during the rowing training
20 Aug
10 mins jog (1 mile)
3 x 5 mins with 3-4 mins active rest, pace 8 min/mile
10 mins jog (1 mile)Active rest was 400m so almost walking pace. I googled “VO2max running workout” and stumbled on this layout. I trimmed 5 mins from each job because I don’t have endless time to plod around a track. I liked the session, the middle runs are meant to be about 2 mile pace which I estimated.
21 Aug
Thigh measurement: Left 55cm, Right 55cm
Countermovement Jump: 56cm (281cm with 225cm reach)
Around The Square – 3 x 4
CMJ – 5
Back Squat – 5 x 70,75,80,85,90kg
Tuck Jumps – 2 x 10
BB Hip Thrust – 3 x 8 x 60kg
Jump Rope – 3 x 50 (60 secs)A bit of a mixed bag but a lot of exercises I want to keep in my leg day. I’ve been ill and neglected legs so I wanted some starting measurements, weight is down around 69.2kg right now. Also curious to see how my vert tracks with back squat. I want to do 5-7 sets of back squat and I was just adding 5kg each time, I’ll end up above 100kg before it feels challenging but there’s no rush.
24 Aug
Back Squat – 5 x 75,80,85,90,95kg
DB RLESS – 3 x 8 x 15kgThis is a shorter session during my lunch break, nice to do split squats as they light up my glutes.
27 Aug
10 mins jog (1 mile)
3 x 5 mins with 3-4 mins active rest, pace 8 min/mile
10 mins jog (1 mile)Pleased that I’m already finding this easier. My left calf started seizing up but not enough to hinder my speed.
WEEK 4
23 Aug
Pull / Chin / Pull / Chin / Pull – 17,10,16,10,14 (180 secs)
Hollow Body Hold – 3 x 25 secsI feel like hollow body holds are the most important of the three so I added a set and dropped any other ab work. I was really pleased with how I handled 17 reps, when I did my max of 18 I was down to singles from around rep 12, now I’m powering through to 15 or 16 before I need a break.
25 Aug
Pull / Chin / Pull / Chin / Pull – 14,19,11,13,9 (180 secs)
Hollow Body Hold – 3 x 25 secsI was at work so I did this over lunch at a Virgin Active. I necked a Red Bull before I started and it probably made me feel worse if anything. The 19 chin ups was one I thought might be a failure but I cranked them all out and maybe had 1 or 2 more in the tank. I saw the program overview later that day and that’s the most chin ups I’ll ever have to do.
27 Aug
Pull / Chin / Pull / Chin / Pull – 19,13,14,13,11 (180 secs)
Hollow Body Hold – 3 x 25 secsCasual personal best on the opening set, I made sure to go to full extension but I am getting some sort of stretch reflex from the way I’m doing them. I’m not sure I could do 19 with a short pause which is how I’ve been testing my max up until now.
The opening set now goes up by 2-4 reps for the next six consecutive workouts which feels hurried when you see it on paper. The positives are that I don’t feel overly fatigued and while some sets push me I’ve yet to fail in phase 2.
WEEK 3
16 Aug
Pull / Chin / Pull / Chin / Pull – 15,14,10,12,10 (180 secs)
Side Plank – 2 x 70 secs
Heel Taps – 2 x 50I now feel up to speed and no more than a rep off where I was before.
18 Aug
Pull / Chin / Pull / Chin / Pull – 15,14,11,13,10 (180 secs)
Side Plank – 2 x 70 secs
Heel Taps – 2 x 5020 Aug
Pull / Chin / Pull / Chin / Pull – 14,14,14,12,11 (180 secs)
Side Plank – 2 x 70 secs
Heel Taps – 2 x 50Another week under my belt and on paper it wasn’t likely to trouble me. From now on it’s going to get interesting…
6 Aug
Pull / Chin / Pull / Chin / Pull – 13,10,10,9,8 (180 secs)
I could tell in the warm up that Week 2 Day 5 was ambitious, so I dropped right back to Week 1 Day 5.
WEEK 2 – Repeated
9 Aug
Pull / Chin / Pull / Chin / Pull – 15,11,10,9,8 (180 secs)
11 Aug
Pull / Chin / Pull / Chin / Pull – 15,12,11,9,8 (180 secs)
Hollow Body Hold – 2 x 25 secs
Heel Taps – 2 x 4013 Aug
Pull / Chin / Pull / Chin / Pull – 14,13,12,11,9 (180 secs)
I was really busy and had to do this session while looking after toddlers, so no ab work and a rushed warm down.
Overall I’m confident that I’m no more than a rep or two from my best and with my weight stable at 69kg I can push on and make strength gains.
